With special thanks to Montblanc.
The Croisette glittered last night as Charles Finch hosted the annual A Rabbit’s Foot Filmmakers Dinner, honouring actor Javier Bardem, Nadine Labaki and Melita Toscan du Plantier for their enduring contributions to cinema. The evening was held with special thanks to Montblanc, who for over a century have celebrated the power of writing and storytelling in its many forms, bringing together creative voices shaping contemporary culture across film, writing, and the arts.
At Fred L’Ecailler—the legendary fish restaurant—Finch was joined by a glamorous assortment of artists and directors, including Diego Luna, James Gray, Whit Stillman, Ira Sachs, Florian Zeller, Charlotte Cardin, Toheeb Jimoh, Diana Agron, Tarik Saleh, and legendary longtime collaborators and friends, counting the producer Jeremy Thomas, the head of the Venice Film Festival Alberto Barbera, MUBI chief Efe Cakarel, and photographer and designer Jean Pigozzi. After appetisers, the guests observed Labaki, Toscan du Plantier, and Bardem (who was unable to attend due to travel, but was honoured in spirit), accepting the evening’s prize: the Silver Rabbit pin. Honorees were also presented with a Montblanc Meisterstück fountain pen for them to continue penning their contribution to cinema.
The dinner coincided with Bardem’s performance in The Beloved, which premiered at the competition. Toscan du Plantier has four films at the festival, including James Gray’s Paper Tiger—one of this edition’s highlights. In her emotional speech, the driving force behind the Marrakech Film Festival (the largest in the MENA region) pointed to her longtime friendship with Finch and noted how meaningful it was to be awarded the pin among so many “talented people in the room”. Gray, among them, stood beside Toscan du Plantier to celebrate her achievements.
Labaki, who previously enthralled Cannes audiences with her award-winning, and masterful Capernaum, has long kept spectators waiting for her next production. In an emotional moment, she told the guests that Finch’s recognition actually encouraged her to continue writing her next film—explaining that for a long time, the situation in her home country Lebanon had prevented her from being able to create. Holding Finch’s hands, she suggested that his call gave her a new confidence to finish her next script, “and to keep doing what I love.”
As the evening went on, the legendary Gipsy Kings serenaded guests, and the festivities spilled onto the brightly lit streets. Attendees were also invited to write personalised notes with Montblanc’s elegant selection of stationary, desk accessories, and the iconic Meisterstuck writing instruments—which is famously spotted across cinema and in the hands of the world’s greatest filmmakers. The collaboration between Montblanc and A Rabbit’s Foot emphasises the power of creative writing, and the spirit of storytelling across film and the arts. Guests took home the newest, independently-published edition of A Rabbit’s Foot. The issue observes the glamour of science-fiction, with interviews featuring Star Wars director George Lucas, Alejandro Jodorowsky, author Siri Hustvedt and British artist Sir David Hockney.
